Neighborhood

Roosevelt Island

Manhattan
In the Census-defined PUMA including the Upper East Side, according to recent Census data, (in descending order) French and Cantonese each have at least 1000 speakers. English and Spanish varieties are widely spoken in the area as well.
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Languages with a significant site in this neighborhood, marked by a point on the map:

Alsatian

Ëlsässisch
Thousands of Alsatians came to New York in the decades following the German takeover of the territory in 1871, including many who spoke the Germanic language variety Alsatian but nonetheless identified as French. A substantial number of Alsatian Jews also settled in New York, joining to varying extents joined with German Jews but also retaining a distinct community with institutions such as the Société israélite française de New York and the Orach Chaim synagogue on the Upper East Side. Today, most of the roughly 200 Alsatian speakers in New York City are over 50 years old, as language use — even in Alsace itself — is declining every year, as with other minority languages of France such as Breton, Basque, and Corsican. Older Alsatians lives mostly in Midtown Manhattan, while younger generations are spread throughout Brooklyn and Queens. Two classic Alsatian restaurants, Café d'Alsace and La Cigogne, can be found on the Upper East Side and in Carroll Gardens, respectively. Founded by refugees in 1871, L'Union Alsacienne of New York, along with partners at The National Arts Club and the French Consulate, have been working to keep Alsatian culture alive in NYC.

Chiga

Rukiga
One Ugandan staffer working at the United Nations and living on Roosevelt Island was reported to speak Chiga, from the region of Kabale near the border with Rwanda and reportedly mutually intelligible with Kinyarwanda.

Kota

Ikota
Kota, also called Mahongwe, is a language spoken by the Bakota people, some 40-50,000 of whom live along the border that runs between Gabon and the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville). In Gabon, most inhabit the provinces of Ogooué-Ivindo and Haut-Ogooué, while in Congo-Brazzaville most are in the north of the country, near Kelle and Mbomo, or in the southeast. Ikota is classified by linguists as a Northwest Bantu language of zone B, within Africa's massive Niger-Congo language family. ELA has worked in depth with one Mahongwé woman from Mekambo now living in the city, Sefiyatou Dvorak, who was living on Roosevelt Island at the time. Read more here.

Shona

ChiShona
According to a staff member at the United Nations, there are five Shona-speaking families on Roosevelt Island who gather occasionally for festivities. Given the language's substantial speaker base in southern and eastern Africa, there are likely to be many other speakers scattered around the city.
Additional languages spoken in this neighborhood:
  • Bislama
  • Fijian
  • Oshiwambo
  • Samoan
  • Tongan
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Roosevelt Island

Manhattan

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AbakuáAbakuá

Caribbean

  • Cuba flag
    Cuba
Lower East Side

Smallest

Liturgical
AbazaАбаза

Western Asia

  • Turkey flag
    Turkey
  • Russia flag
    Russia
49,800
Abkhaz-Adyge
Wayne (NJ)

Smallest

Residential
AbruzzeseAbbruzzésə

Southern Europe

  • Italy flag
    Italy
Indo-European
Astoria

Small

Residential
AbruzzeseAbbruzzésə

Southern Europe

  • Italy flag
    Italy
Indo-European
Little Italy

Small

Historical
AcehneseBahsa Acèh

Southeastern Asia

  • Indonesia flag
    Indonesia
3,500,000
Austronesian
Astoria

Smallest

Community
AcehneseBahsa Acèh

Southeastern Asia

  • Indonesia flag
    Indonesia
3,500,000
Austronesian
Elmhurst

Smallest

Residential
AdjoukrouMɔjukru

Western Africa

  • Ivory Coast flag
    Ivory Coast
140,000
Atlantic-Congo
Concourse

Smallest

Residential
AdygheК|ахыбзэ

Western Asia

  • Turkey flag
    Turkey
  • Russia flag
    Russia
117,500
Abkhaz-Adyge
Wayne (NJ)

Small

Residential
AfenmaiAfenmai

Western Africa

  • Nigeria flag
    Nigeria
270,000
Atlantic-Congo
Castle Hill

Smallest

Residential
African-American EnglishBlack English

Northern America

  • United States flag
    United States
45,109,521
Indo-European
Bedford-Stuyvesant

Largest

Residential
African-American EnglishBlack English

Northern America

  • United States flag
    United States
45,109,521
Indo-European
Newark (NJ)

Largest

Residential
African-American EnglishBlack English

Northern America

  • United States flag
    United States
45,109,521
Indo-European
Clifton

Largest

Residential
African-American EnglishBlack English

Northern America

  • United States flag
    United States
45,109,521
Indo-European
Hollis

Largest

Residential
African-American EnglishBlack English

Northern America

  • United States flag
    United States
45,109,521
Indo-European
Edenwald

Largest

Residential
African-American EnglishBlack English

Northern America

  • United States flag
    United States
45,109,521
Indo-European
Central Harlem

Largest

Residential
African-American EnglishBlack English

Northern America

  • United States flag
    United States
45,109,521
Indo-European
Hempstead (NY)

Large

Residential
AfrikaansAfrikaans

Southern Africa

  • South Africa flag
    South Africa
  • Zimbabwe flag
    Zimbabwe
17,543,580
Indo-European
Murray Hill

Small

Community
AkanAkan

Western Africa

  • Ghana flag
    Ghana
9,231,300
Atlantic-Congo
Flatbush

Small

Residential
AkanAkan

Western Africa

  • Ghana flag
    Ghana
9,231,300
Atlantic-Congo
Shore Acres

Small

Residential
AkanAkan

Western Africa

  • Ghana flag
    Ghana
9,231,300
Atlantic-Congo
University Heights

Large

Residential

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